Fresh air device for power vehicles

ABSTRACT

A fresh air ventilator for power vehicles mounted below the windshield of the vehicle having an air inlet channel leading to a fan blower connected through flap valves to two outlet vents, one directed toward the inside of the windshield and the other into the interior of the vehicle.

Uited States atent Morchen et al.

Feb. 1, 1972 FRESH AIR DEVICE FOR POWER VEHICLES inventors: WolfgangMorchen; Woll Heinrich Hucho; Lutz Joachim Janssen, all of Wolfsburg,

Germany Assignee: Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschat't, Wolfsburg, GermanyFiled: Mar. 31, 1970 Appl. No.: 24,070

Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 1, I969 Germany ..P l9 16 638.2

US. Cl ..98/2.l6

Int. Cl t t t ..B60h 1/24 Field of Search ..98/2.05, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,208,368 9/1965 Perzs..98/207 3,329,078 7/1967 Castclct ..98/2.07 3,387,549 6/1968 Castelct..98/207 Primary Examiner-Meyer Perlin Atlorney-Watson, Cole. Grindlc &Watson [57] ABSTRACT A fresh air ventilator for power vehicles mountedbelow the windshield of the vehicle having an air inlet channel leadingto a fan blower connected through flap valves to two outlet vents, onedirected toward the inside of the windshield and the other into theinterior of the vehicle.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED Fm 3- w IN VEN TORS' MO/(Ja an W HHuclw FRESH AIR DEVICE FOR POWER VEHICLES This invention relates to afresh air ventilator for power vehicles in which inlet openings for theventilator are provided in such a way that the movement of the vehiclewill add to a fan blower for directing fresh air into the inside of apower vehicle.

In known structures of this type the fan blower is mounted directly inthe inlet channel and aids in directing the fresh air into the vehicleand mainly when the vehicle is in motion. It is an object of the presentinvention to provide easy access for the fresh air to be directed into avehicle body and furthermore the device for projecting the airstreamshas flap valves provided which are opened as soon as the pressure forceis greater than the force directing the air into the vehicle.

The invention proceeds from the problem to increase the amount of flowwithout increasing the cost of the ventilation.

The invention therefore has for an object to mount the power fan in aline for the entry channel and to provide the power fan with flap valveswhich may be opened by the pressure force of the directed airstream whenthe pressure force is greater than the pressure behind the fan. Afurther object of the invention resides in the provision of mounting thepower fan in an inlet channel of an elongated configuration in ashelllike sheet metal structure whereby the flap valves will beoperative in the forced airstream. The flap valves may be composed of anartificial material, as for example rubber with saillike form and aresecured in the sheet metal wall. The flap valves are made as thin aspossible and to strengthen the valve plates they can be mounted in rigidrims or provided with ribs. By means of the invention, the inletchannels and the fan can be provided as a small unit. Since the fan unitand its surrounding channel member are provided adjacent to each other,there is thus a compact structure produced which can be easily mountedunder a dashboard compartment. Also, the fan may be switched offaltogether, if desired, or may be switched off only while the vehicle isin motion.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which;

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view in section of the ventilating deviceand system,

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the device taken in the direction of theoutside arrow in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a flap for the valve.

The airpath below the windshield l of the body of a vehicle flows from aslot or gridlike air opening 2, into a distributor casing or box 3 bymeans of an inlet channel 4. From the distributor box 3 one or moreregulatable channels are connected to grids or grates 7 near thewindshield l and provided with flap valves 6 and 8, associated with theoutlet conduits 9 directed to the inner space of the body. In front ofthe distributor casing 3, the inlet conduit 4 will be enlarged to anoutlet casing of approximately rectangular cross section on both sidesbelow the instrument board. In the middle of the casing there is an fanblower 11 which is mounted within a tubular member 10 which forms asurrounding inlet element on both sides of the channel 4 for the airinlet. The tube member 10 with the fan blower 11 is seated in a shellplate 12 of sheet metal with openings therein which are controlled byflap valves 13 preferably composed of an artificial material as forexample, rubber and the like flexible material.

The flap valve 13 will prevent the backflow of fresh air from thechamber 3 of the casing and such valves will open in the direction ofthe airstream by the airflow pressure only when the pressure in theinlet chamber 4 is higher than the pressure developed by the fan blades11 in the distributor casing 3. The flap valves 13 are mounted by meansof a bar 13a, FIG. 3, which has a comparatively large cross section andhaving a part 13b which is adapted to swing outwardly due to theflexible portion 13c. The construction is uncomplicated and can beproduced in an inexpensive manner so that the forced draft device can beoperated without difficulty in view of the fact that the flap valves 13will be automatically operated by air pressure.

We claim; I 1. Fresh air ventilation arrangement for motor vehicleshaving an inflow channel and an outflow channel, a partition platemounted within said inflow channel, an air conveyor fan unit mounted onsaid plate for directing airflow therethrough, and nonretum outflowvalves provided in said plate on opposite sides of said fan unit wherebyair may flow through said fan unit into said outflow channel when theairflow pressure on the outflow side of said plate is greater than theairflow pressure on the inflow side of said plate, thereby serving toclose said valves, and air may flow through said valves into saidoutflow channel when the airflow pressure on the outflow side of saidplate is less than the airflow pressure on the inflow side of saidplate, thereby serving to open said valves.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein an open tubular membersurrounding said fan unit is mounted on said plate.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of said valvescomprises resilient nonmetallic flaps.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3 wherein each of said flap valvesis provided with a rigid peripheral frame member and reinforcing ribs onthe surface of each said flap.

1. Fresh air ventilation arrangement for motor vehicles having an inflowchannel and an outflow channel, a partition plate mounted within saidinflow channel, an air conveyor fan unit mounted on said plate fordirecting airflow therethrough, and nonreturn outflow valves provided insaid plate on opposite sides of said fan unit whereby air may flowthrough said fan unit into said outflow channel when the airflowpressure on the outflow side of said plate is greater than the airflowpressure on the inflow side of said plate, thereby serving to close saidvalves, and air may flow through said valves into said outflow channelwhen the airflow pressure on the outflow side of said plate is less thanthe airflow pressure on the inflow side of said plate, thereby servingto open said valves.
 2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein anopen tubular member surrounding said fan unit is mounted on said plate.3. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of said valvescomprises resilient nonmetallic flaps.
 4. The arrangement according toclaim 3 wherein each of said flap valves is provided with a rigidperipheral frame member and reinforcing ribs on the surface of each saidflap.